Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav deviates from GST debate in Parliament to defend his son’s government and warn BJP that the people of UP won’t spare the party if it fails to fulfil its poll promises

Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav with son Akhilesh Yadav, the former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.(HT file photo)

Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav couldn’t help deviate from a Parliament debate on the proposed goods and services tax (GST) on Wednesday to accuse the BJP of winning the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections on false promises.

Also, he defended his party’s track record in the state. His defence of the government led by his son and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav surprised parliamentarians as the party suffered a huge defeat in the February-March elections , despite a tie-up with the Congress.

“We also ran a government. But we have fulfilled all promises. Can anyone say that we have not fulfilled promises?” Mulayam asked, looking at the BJP members.

“It’s a different thing that we have lost (the polls). But so much work had never happened in any other state in the country. We lost because you people (BJP) made false promises. And also chanted ‘Jai Modi, Jai Modi, Jai Modi’,” he said, referring to the hype created around Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The SP leader continued to talk about the polls despite fellow parliamentarians requesting him politely to stick to the topic of the debate, which was the GST.

“You did not imagine you will win with such a huge margin. UP knows how to make a government and then, how to test it. If you don’t work, UP will again show you what it can do,” Mulayam warned.

The BJP and its allies won a record 325 seats in the elections, and rode to power after 15 years in India’s most populous and politically sensitive state. The party made Yogi Adityanath , a priest-politician, the chief minister.

The 77-year-old Yadav leader stressed that the government must bring a law to prevent poor people from dying of hunger.

“The government must ensure that no one will sleep hungry, especially women.”